Premier League In Hot Water With UEFA Over Merseyside Derby Scheduling

Ahead of Tuesday night’s Merseyside derby, a game which could see Everton boss David Moyes celebrate his 10th anniversary in charge at Goodison by watching his side leapfrog Liverpool in the league table courtesy of a win, the Scottish FA are making an official complaint about the scheduling of the game.

Only last month, St Johnstone and Hearts were stopped from switching a Scottish Cup replay to a Thursday because it clashed with Europa League fixtures. That decision cost both Scottish clubs £82,500 each. However, tonight, the Mersey derby, which is on live TV, will go head to head with Champions League action, which is in direct contravention of UEFA rules.

UEFA themselves are rather irked by the Premier League’s attitude on this matter, with a spokesperson saying:

“The English did not even consult us. The executive committee will now examine the case at the end of the season and sanctions could be taken against them. What these sanctions will be is impossible to say.”

Let’s see whether or not the Euro suits actually act on the English authorities’ bad behaviour. One imagines that, ultimately, they won’t.

I’m sorry, but why they are talking now?
I.E., last week wasn’t the Birmingham vs Chelsea game live on television? Or Tottenham vs Stevenage? And there were also CL matches…
This is really ridiculous… But UEFA are ridiculous.

And again, when Zenith or CSKA Moscow played the 1st leg at home, the matches was played at 17.30 (GMT): and here in Italy there were also some Serie A matches (and in Italy all Serie A matches are shown live on tv). Why they don’t say nothing about it?

Maybe if they played all the first leg games on one week and the second leg games another week, rather than spreading it out over 4 weeks there would be more space in the calender for games like this to fit in